Jim McElwain to coach Florida
— -- Jim McElwain's representatives and Colorado State have cleared up the issues surrounding his buyout, and McElwain has agreed to become the next head coach of the Florida Gators.
The coach will be paid an average of $3.5 million per season over the six-year contract, according to sources.
To settle the dispute over McElwain's $7.5 million buyout that had hung up an agreement before Thursday morning, Florida agreed to pay $3 million over six years to Colorado State and also agreed to a future game -- with a $2 million guarantee -- in Gainesville sometime between the 2017 and 2020 seasons, sources told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.
In addition, McElwain has agreed to pay $2 million to Colorado State over time, sources told McMurphy.
The school announced McElwain's hiring on Twitter but hasn't disclosed any contract terms.
McElwain hasn't finalized his staff, but does expect to interview some of the Gators' current assistants, sources said.
McElwain, 52, was in his third season at Colorado State. The Rams (10-2) have won 16 of their last 20 games dating to last season. That's after losing 27 of 36 games in the three seasons prior to McElwain's arrival in 2012.
He was named Tuesday as the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year.
Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley was looking for somebody with a strong offensive background, and McElwain fits that bill.
The Rams are 13th nationally in total offense (497.8 yards per game) and have the country's second-most efficient quarterback in Garrett Grayson, who has thrown 32 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. Colorado State's top receiver, Rashard Higgins, leads the country in receiving yards per game (149.1) and receiving touchdowns (17). The Rams scored more than 30 points in eight of their 12 games this season and are one of two Group of 5 teams with two wins over Power 5 teams, defeating Boston College and Colorado.
It didn't take McElwain long to transform Colorado State into an offensive powerhouse. In his second season, the Rams went from 100th nationally in scoring offense to 22nd and from 100th in total offense to 24th.
McElwain replaces Will Muschamp, whose Gators never finished higher than 90th nationally in total offense in his four seasons in Gainesville. Muschamp was fired last month after going 10-13 over the past two seasons.
Originally from Montana, McElwain tutored first-year starting quarterbacks (Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron) in two of his four seasons as Alabama's offensive coordinator. The Crimson Tide were known for their offensive balance under McElwain.
McElroy, who is currently a SEC Network analyst, congratulated Florida, saying the school has the "real deal" in McElwain.
In McElwain's final season at Alabama in 2011, the Tide were the only team in the SEC that averaged more than 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards per game on their way to what was then Nick Saban's second national championship in Tuscaloosa.
